David Manker Abshire (April 11, 1926 – October 31, 2014) was an American politician who served as a Special Counselor to

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

and was the

United States Permanent Representative to NATO The United States permanent representative to NATO (commonly referred to as the U.S. ambassador to NATO) is the official representative of the United States Mission to NATO, United States mission to NATO. The representative has the rank of full ...

from 1983 to 1987. Abshire presided over the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. In July 2002, he was elected President of the

Richard Lounsbery Foundation The Richard Lounsbery Foundation is a philanthropic organization located in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1959, to enhance national strengths in science and technology (in the United States) and to foster strong Franco-American cooperation. ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. He was a member of the exclusive

Alfalfa Club The Alfalfa Club is a social club that exists only to hold an annual black tie banquet on the last Saturday of January at the Capital Hilton in Washington D.C., with an after-party at a local restaurant. The banquet, which lasts 4 hours, featur ...

. Abshire was a Republican and the author of seven books, the most recent being ''A Call to Greatness: Challenging Our Next President'', which was published in 2008. Abshire was married and had five children. He was a member of the advisory council of the

Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) is a non-profit anti-communist organization in the United States, set up by an Act of Congress in 1993 to raise money to create "a national memorial to honor the victims of communism". The org ...

and sat on the advisory board of America Abroad Media.

Background

Early life

Abshire was born in

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

, on April 11, 1926.

Education and early career

He graduated from The Bright School in 1938, and

Baylor School Baylor School, commonly called Baylor, is a private school, private, coeducational college-preparatory school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1893, the school's current campus comprises 690 acres and enrolls students in grad ...

in Chattanooga in 1944. Abshire graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1951. Then he received his doctorate in History from

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

in 1959, where for many years he was an adjunct professor at its Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He is a member of the

Project on National Security Reform The Project on National Security Reform (PNSR) was a nonpartisan nonprofit mandated by the United States Congress to recommend improvements to the U.S. national security system. Advocates of reform of the U.S. national security system contend that ...

.Abshire profile
, rlounsbery.org; accessed October 31, 2014. Till 1977 he worked as administrator in the Advisory Board at St. Albans School and in the Board of Advisors at

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...

Military

Abshire fought in the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

1951–1955, where he served as

platoon leader A platoon leader (NATO) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth militaries and the US Marine Corps) is the officer in charge of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer – a second or first lieutenant or an equivalent rank ...

, division intelligence officer and

company commander A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 100–250 soldiers and usually commanded by a major or a captain. Most companies are made up of three to seven platoons, although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and struc ...

. He received various distinctions: the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

with Oak Leaf Cluster with V for Valor,

Combat Infantry Badge The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army military decoration. The badge is awarded to infantrymen and Special Forces soldiers in the rank of colonel and below, who fought in active ground combat while assigned as members of ...

and

Commendation Ribbon The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fift ...

with medal pendant.

Political life

In 1962, Abshire and

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Arleigh Burke Arleigh Albert Burke (October 19, 1901 – January 1, 1996) was an Admiral (United States), admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean War, and who served as Chief of Naval Operations during th ...

founded the

Center for Strategic and International Studies The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is an American think tank based in Washington, D.C. From its founding in 1962 until 1987, it was an affiliate of Georgetown University, initially named the Center for Strategic and Inte ...

(CSIS). In 1988, as President of CSIS, he merged the Hawaii-based Pacific Forum into his organization to give it more input from the Asia-Pacific region. Dr. Abshire served as

Assistant Secretary of State Assistant Secretary of State (A/S) is a title used for many executive positions in the United States Department of State, ranking below the under secretaries. A set of six assistant secretaries reporting to the under secretary for political aff ...

for Congressional Relations from 1970 to 1973 and later as Chairman of the U.S. Board of International Broadcasting (1975–77). He was a member of the Murphy Commission (1974–75), the

President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board The President's Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB) is an advisory body to the Executive Office of the President of the United States. According to its self-description, it "provides advice to the President concerning the quality and adequacy o ...

(1981–1982), and the President's Task Force on U.S. Government International Broadcasting (1991).Profile
, Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress], thepresidency.org; accessed October 31, 2014. During the transition of government in 1980, Abshire was asked by President-elect of the United States, President-elect Reagan to head the National Security Group, which included the State and Defense Departments, the

U.S. Information Agency The United States Information Agency (USIA) was a United States government agency devoted to propaganda which operated from 1953 to 1999. Previously existing United States Information Service (USIS) posts operating out of U.S. embassies wor ...

, and the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

. He served for nine years on the board of

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/con ...

Personal

Abshire was married to Carolyn Lamar Sample. He had four daughters and one son: Anna Lamar Bowman, Mary Lee Jensvold, Phyllis d'Hoop, Caroline Hall and Lupton Abshire.

Ambassador to NATO

In 1983–1987 Abshire was Ambassador to NATO where, in reaction to the threat posed by

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

SS-20 missiles, he was appointed to oversee the deployment of Pershing and Cruise missiles. For his service, he was given the Distinguished Public Service Medal.The Civility Defense Force
''Washington Post'', April 7, 2006; accessed October 31, 2014.

Special Counselor to President Reagan

Abshire was recalled as the Iran-Contra Affair unfolded to serve as Special Counselor to President Reagan with Cabinet rank. His charge was to assure a full investigation of the sale of arms to

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

so as to restore the confidence of the nation in the Reagan presidency.

Honors

* Doctor of Humane Letters from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1992. * Doctor of Civil Law, honoris causa, from the University of the South in 1994. * John Carroll Award for outstanding service by a Georgetown University alumnus. * Distinguished Graduate Award of the United States Military Academy. * 1994 U.S. Military Academy's Castle Award * Gold Medal of the Sons of the American Revolution * Baylor Distinguished Alumni Award *

Order of the Crown (Belgium) The Order of the Crown (, ) is a national Order (decoration), order of the Belgium, Kingdom of Belgium. The Order is one of Belgium's highest honors. History The Order was established on October 15, 1897, by Leopold II of Belgium, King Leopold ...

* Commander of the

Order of Leopold (Belgium) The Order of Leopold (, , ) is one of the three current Belgian national honorary orders of knighthood. It is the oldest and highest order of Belgium and is named in honour of its founder, King Leopold I. It consists of a military, a ma ...

* Medal of the President of the Italian Republic, Senate, Parliament, and Government. * Grand Official of the

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...

. *

Order of Diplomatic Service Merit The Order of Diplomatic Service Merit () is one of South Korea's orders of merit. It is awarded by the President of South Korea for "outstanding meritorious services in the interest of enhancing national prestige and promoting amity with allies. ...

Heung-In Medal (Korea) * Insignia of the Commander, First Class,

Order of the Lion of Finland Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

* Order of the Liberator (Argentina) in 1999. *

Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese Order (distinction), order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six c ...

Gold and Silver Star (Japan) in 2001. * Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service. *

Presidential Citizens Medal The Presidential Citizens Medal is an award bestowed by the president of the United States. It is the second-highest civilian award in the United States and is second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Established by executive order on N ...

– Awarded in 1989 by President

. *Doctor of Civil Law, honoris causa, from the University Georgetown in 2006.

Death

Abshire died on October 31, 2014, of

pulmonary fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory ...

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Washington, D.C., D.C. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 ...

.Ambassador David M. Abshire, CSPC Vice Chairman, dies
/ref> He is survived by his wife of 56 years, the former Carolyn Sample, his son, Lupton, his daughters Anna Bowman, Mary Lee Jensvold, Phyliis d'Hoop and Carolyn Hall. He has 11 grandchildren.

Books

* ''National Security: Political, Military, and Economic Strategies in the Decade Ahead'', 1963. . * ''The South Rejects a Prophet: The Life of Senator D. M. Key, 1824–1900'', Praeger, 1967. . * ''International Broadcasting: A New Dimension of Western Diplomacy'', 1976. . . * ''Foreign Policy Makers: President vs. Congress'', 1979. . . * ''Preventing World War III: A Realistic Grand Strategy'', 1988. . * ''Putting America's House in Order: The Nation as a Family'' (with Brock Brower), 1996. . . * ''Saving the Reagan Presidency: Trust Is the Coin of the Realm'' (with Richard E. Neustadt), 2005. . . * ''A Call to Greatness: Challenging Our Next President'', 2008. . .

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Abshire, David 1926 births 2014 deaths United States Military Academy alumni Permanent representatives of the United States to NATO United States Army officers United States Army personnel of the Korean War Reagan administration personnel Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) Recipients of the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic Grand Officers of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Commanders First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland Recipients of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure Presidential Citizens Medal recipients People from Chattanooga, Tennessee Tennessee Republicans Writers from Tennessee Walsh School of Foreign Service alumni Historians from Tennessee CSIS people Deaths from pulmonary fibrosis